Patent FR-2928853-A1 (FR)
Title: Drying a wet area, comprises injecting a gas e.g. argon in a base of an open immersed enclosure covering the area, transporting the gas from a surface in which an immersed pipe is present, and heating the gas with a compact heating device
Inventor: HENNINOT CHRISTIAN
IPC: B01D1/14
Filed: 2008-06-03
Abstract: The process of drying a wet area, comprises injecting a gas such as argon in a base of an open immersed enclosure covering the wet area, transporting the gas from a surface in which an immersed pipe is present, and heating the gas at 120[deg] C with a compact heating device (1) at the surface in which the gas circulates at a rate of 10 l/min. The compact heating device is arranged at immediate upstream of the enclosure. The gas circulating in the surface increases the temperature, and vaporizes all traces of water not released by the gas jet. The process of drying a wet area, comprises injecting a gas such as argon in a base of an open immersed enclosure covering the wet area, transporting the gas from a surface in which an immersed pipe is present, and heating the gas at 120[deg] C with a compact heating device (1) at the surface in which the gas circulates at a rate of 10 l/min. The compact heating device is arranged at immediate upstream of the enclosure. The gas circulating in the surface increases the temperature, and vaporizes all traces of water not released by the gas jet. The heating device is immersed in 10 m deep. The pipe has a diameter of = 1 cm. The heating device is reduced to less than 5 cm wide and less than 50 cm long, and channels (3) through which the gas circulates. The channels are arranged spirally or axially around an electrical heating element (2) in the form of cylindrical rod, powered by an electric current, covered by an insulating material (4) layer inside a shell made of sealed metal wall i.e. first envelope (6). The insulating material has a coefficient of 0.05-0.25 W/mK at 200-1000[deg] C. The insulating material is silica needle felt having a density of 130 kg/m 3>. The heating device comprises a cylindrical stainless steel first outer envelope, and a heating resistor such as a cartridge heater constituted of a heating wire when circulating the electricity within a refractory material that is confined in an enclosure having cylindrical wall made of stainless steel. The channels are formed along the thickness of a tubular stain steel wall i.e. a third envelope. The heating resistor is a fourth envelope. The channels are formed into helical or longitudinal grooves or pits by machining. The cross section of the grooves is semi-circular. Open faces of the grooves are applied against the surface of the first cylindrical wall of the enclosure of the resistor. The stainless steel tubular wall or third envelope is constituted of two semi tubular half shells integrated with each other reversibly. The insulating material layer is confined between the first outer envelope and a second stainless steel cylindrical envelope. The second envelope is adjusted in its longitudinal ends by contacting it with the third envelope. The wire for power supply is included in the gas supply pipe of the heating device thus providing a resistance power of 400 W at = 48 V. An independent claim is included for a method of underwater welding.